VietNamNet Bridge – Becamex Binh Duong arrived in Japan yesterday (March 1) to face hosts Kashiwa Reysol in the second match of the Asian Football Confederation Champions League's Group E.
Staying positive: Becamex Binh Duong players celebrate during their Group E match against China's Shandong Luneng. Binh Duong will visit Kashiwa Reysol in Japan tomorrow.
Although there was talk about the visitors' definite loss here since Kashiwa Reysol are much better players, many Vietnamese players are still confident.
"We may be a little lacking when it comes to technique or tactics, but we are certainly not lacking when it comes to spirit," said V.League 1 three-time Golden Ball winner Le Cong Vinh.
The Viet Nam national champions had little time to study their rivals, watching just two clips of Kashiwa Reysol's latest matches.
According to coach Nguyen Thanh Son, Kashiwa Reysol have good players and some are foreigners who have a better grasp of the game.
He has asked the … [Read more...]

Becamex Binh Duong's Oseni (C) vies for the ball with two Shandong Luneng players during an AFC Champions League's Group E match in Binh Duong on Tuesday. Photo: Khả Hòa
Becamex Binh Duong became the second Vietnam club besides Hanoi T&T being disqualified for the AFC Champions League 2015's final rounds, after losing to China's Shandong Luneng on Tuesday.
The host team performed quite well at Go Dau Stadium in the first half against Shandong Luneng, champion of both the 2014 Chinese FA Cup and the 2015 Chinese FA Super Cup.
Good coordination among Becamex players blocked all attacks by Shandong Luneng while Moses, Oseni and Abass of the host team pressed on Shandong's goalkeeper Wang Dalei.
In the first half, Shandong Luneng had only one dangerous shot in the 37th minute. But this free kick by Zheng Zheng was successfully blocked by goalkeeper Thien Esele.
Shangdong Luneng then took the lead with a close target shot by Wang Yongpo in the 46th minute.
Becamex Binh Duong leveled … [Read more...]

Le Cong Vinh has been recognised as the highest-paid sportsman of Viet Nam, based on what he has earned in the last eight years.
It is estimated that the striker, who has been voted the ‘best player of the year' thrice, pocketed about VND30 billion (US$1.4 million) after being transferred three times in the V-League, the nation's top football tournament.
After playing for four years for hometown Song Lam Nghe An, Vinh joined Ha Noi T&T in 2008 with a record transfer fee of VND8 billion ($375,000), apart from his salary of VND14 million per month, three times higher than what he got from the previous club.
Four years later, Vinh made headlines when he moved to Ha Noi FC, who paid him a fee [P1] of VND13 billion ($609,500) and a monthly salary of VND70 million ($3,300).
However, he stayed there for just a year before returning to Song Lam Nghe An under a two-year loan contract.
During this time, he travelled to Japan and played for Consodale Sapporo in J-League 2 for … [Read more...]

Coach Phan Thanh Hung has admitted that FC Seoul were too strong for Ha Noi T&T during the Asian Football Confederation Champions League play-off match yesterday in Seoul.
Former finalists FC Seoul entered the group stage of the league for the third time, after the K League Classic side recorded a thumping 7-0 win.
Yun Il-lok deflected an overhead kick from Brazilian Everton Santos, Jung Jo-gook and Sergio Escudero, setting FC Seoul on their way in the first half of the match at the Seoul World Cup Stadium.
Jung, Lee Seok-hyun and Captain Koh Myong-jin increased the lead in the second half as FC Seoul secured their place in Group H. They will play defending champions Western Sydney Wanderers from Australia, 2013 winners Guangzhou Evergrande from China and Japan's Kashima Antlers, having followed up their 2013 final appearance with a run to the semi-finals last year.
"FC Seoul are a strong team. I want to say congratulations and also good luck to them for the group stage," said … [Read more...]

Le Cong Vinh has been recognised as the highest-paid sportsman of Viet Nam, based on what he has earned in the last eight years.
Le Cong Vinh is the highest-paid player in Viet Nam. Photo slna-fc.com
It is estimated that the striker, who has been voted the ‘best player of the year' thrice, pocketed about VND30 billion (US$1.4 million) after being transferred three times in the V-League, the nation's top football tournament.
After playing for four years for hometown Song Lam Nghe An, Vinh joined Ha Noi T&T in 2008 with a record transfer fee of VND8 billion ($375,000), apart from his salary of VND14 million per month, three times higher than what he got from the previous club.
Four years later, Vinh made headlines when he moved to Ha Noi FC, who paid him a fee of VND13 billion ($609,500) and a monthly salary of VND70 million ($3,300).
However, he stayed there for just a year before returning to Song Lam Nghe An under a two-year loan contract.
During this time, he … [Read more...]

Football supporters are expected to fill the stadium where V-League 1 side Dong Thap FC will play this weekend, but it could well be a bitter irony for the club’s players as the fans may not be there to cheer for them.
Dong Thap FC, which are only three notches from the bottom of the standings in Vietnam’s top-flight football league, told fans via Facebook on Wednesday that half-Korean singer Hari Won will perform at their match against QNK Quang Nam on Saturday.
The news has intrigued Dong Thap FC supporters, many of whom did not bother to conceal that they would go to the stadium only to see Hari, who was born to a South Korean mother and a Vietnamese father, in the flesh.
"Hari Won? Yeah, let’s get to the match," and "Hari Won is so lovely. I love that. The stadium must be crowded then," are among many similar comments posted on the official Facebook page of Dong Thap FC.
Hari is slated to sing four to five songs before the match, and during halftime. … [Read more...]

Illustrative image (Source: VNA)
The Viettel Sports Centre is in the process of setting up a football academy in collaboration with European giant Borussia Dortmund.
The two sides have met and discussed the initial steps that need to be taken for the project. "After carefully checking out different clubs in Europe, we chose the sports club model suggested by Borussia Dortmund, said Major-General Hoang Cong Vinh, Deputy Managing Director of the Viettel Group.
"Our target is to build a strong foundation before we develop an elite football club in the future," he said.
The military unit is home to young players belonging to different age groups, ranging from U11 to U19. They are mainly coached by former national team players, including captain Nguyen Hong Son, striker Dang Phuong Nam and midfielder Nguyen Hai Bien.
The newly-built centre in Thach That district on the outskirts of Hanoi, will be used as Viettel FC's training and accommodation complex in the near future.
Viettel … [Read more...]

The Viettel Sports Centre is in the process of setting up a football academy in collaboration with European giant Borussia Dortmund.
Viettel expects its club to participate in the national premier V.League 1 in 2018. Photo: zing
The two sides have met and discussed the initial steps that need to be taken for the project. "After carefully checking out different clubs in Europe, we chose the sports club model suggested by Borussia Dortmund, said Major-General Hoang Cong Vinh, deputy managing director of the Viettel Group.
"Our target is to build a strong foundation before we develop an elite football club in the future," he said.
The military unit is home to young players belonging to different age groups, ranging from U11 to U19. They are mainly coached by former national team players, including captain Nguyen Hong Son, striker Dang Phuong Nam and midfielder Nguyen Hai Bien.
The newly-built centre in the Thach That District, Ha Noi, will be used as Viettel FC's training and … [Read more...]

The new season of Vietnam’s top-fight V-League is four days away, with several changes to be made to the 14-team competition.
Tuoi Tre News would like to offer an overview of the most-anticipated team, trophy favorites, the club with the most local players, and the best fan club title.
The most awaited team
Among the 14 club members of the 2015 V-League, Hoang Anh Gia Lai (HAGL) FC will be the team most eagerly-awaited by fans thanks to the fielding of their under-19 players, who are graduates of the first seven-year training course of the HAGL-Arsenal JMG football academy.
During the latest matches involving the U-19 players at My Dinh Stadium in Hanoi, the Thong Nhat arena in Ho Chi Minh City and Can Tho Stadium in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho, spectators packed the stands of the stadiums.
The friendly games of the HAGL U-19s with Phu Yen, Sanna Khanh Hoa, and Can Tho in December to prepare for the 2015 V-League attracted big crowds to their Pleiku Stadium.
Doan … [Read more...]

VietNamNet Bridge – Football, known as the king of Vietnam’s sports, experienced a sad and happy year, with the success of the U19 team, and both success and failure at the AFF Cup and Asian Games. However, match-fixing in the V-League was the low point of the year.
1. U19 wins heart of fans
U19 team's Cong Phuong.
Established with core players from Hoang Anh Gia Lai (HAGL) Arsenal JMG Academy, U19 Vietnam suddenly became a phenomenon, attracting the special attention of fans thanks to the philosophy of attacking football, fair play, and a nice attitude.
In 2014, the team ranked second at the U19 Southeast Asian tournament and the Brunei King Cup. After failure in the Asia U19 finals, key members such as Cong Phuong, Xuan Truong and Tuan Anh joined the U21 International Championship held in Can Tho City and won the championship.
"Nowhere in the world with a young football team has such passionate fans as U19 Vietnam," said coach Guillaume Graechen after seeing a full … [Read more...]

Vietnam players celebrate during their 4-1 win over Myanmar at the AFF U19 NutiFood Cup in September (Photo: VNA)
Vietnam expects to win a quarter-final berth at the Asian Football Confederation U19 Championship in Myanmar although they have been drawn in the "Death Group" of the tournament, players and coaches say.
They said that the team, which arrived in Myanmar on October 5, is ready to overcome all obstacles against continental powerhouses China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (RoK), who make up the other teams in Group C.
Vietnam made a big bang in Asia after knocking out Australia 5-1 to top their qualifying group and secure their ticket to the finals.
The young players have since received strong support to take part in training programmes in Europe and Japan to prepare for the finals. They also played warm-up games in two regional competitions, finishing second in both.
Coach Guillaume Graechen said he believed 100 percent in his players despite the presence of strong … [Read more...]

Vietnam expect to win a quarter-final berth at the Asian Football Confederation U19 Championship in Myanmar although they have been drawn in the "Death Group" of the tournament, players and coaches say.
They said that the team, which arrived in Myanmar on October 5, is ready to overcome all obstacles against continental powerhouses China, Japan and the Republic of Korea (RoK), who make up the other teams in Group C.
Vietnam made a big bang in Asia after knocking out Australia 5-1 to top their qualifying group and secure their ticket to the finals.
The young players have since received strong support to take part in training programmes in Europe and Japan to prepare for the finals. They also played warm-up games in two regional competitions, finishing second in both.
Coach Guillaume Graechen said he believed 100% in his players despite the presence of strong rivals. The Frenchman appealed to the fans not to go overboard over victories and have greater sympathy with failures … [Read more...]

Gripping: Viet Nam players celebrate during their 4-1 win over Myanmar at the AFF U19 NutiFood Cup last month. - VNS Photo Tuan Tu HA NOI (VNS) - Viet Nam expect to win a quarter-final berth at the Asian Football Confederation U19 Championship in Myanmar although they have been drawn in the "Death Group" of the tournament, players and coaches say.
They said that the team, which arrived in Myanmar on October 5, is ready to overcome all obstacles against continental powerhouses China, Japan and South Korea, who make up the other teams in Group C.
Viet Nam made a big bang in Asia after knocking out Australia 5-1 to top their qualifying group and secure their ticket to the finals.
The young players have since received strong support to take part in training programmes in Europe and Japan to prepare for the finals. They also played warm-up games in two regional competitions, finishing second in both.
Coach Guillaume Graechen said he believed 100 per cent in his players despite the … [Read more...]

HA NOI (VNS) - V-League side Song Lam Nghe An (SLNA) has chosen not to renew its contract with striker Le Cong Vinh due to financial difficulties, according to SLNA Football Joint Stock Company's general director Nguyen Hong Thanh.
"Vinh is ready to stay with SLNA, but financial limitations mean that we can't keep him," Thanh said.
The Nghe An-born striker Vinh said he was available to play for a new side, with his contract with SLNA ending last month.
One insider has said that Japan's Consadole Sapporo FC and a South Korean club are vying for the player.
Vinh, who is widely considered one of the best players in Southeast Asia, used to play for Sapporo FC under a loan contract two years ago.
The three-time Vietnamese Golden Ball player ranked No 5 on goal.com's top ten most promising youngsters in Asian football. - VNS … [Read more...]

Minh opens World Championships bid against Howard Shu
Vietnamese player Nguyen Tien Minh will meet Howard Shu of the US in the first match of the Badminton World Federation's World Championships, according to the draw made on Monday. It is the first match between Minh, seeded No 20 in the world, and Shu, who is seeded No 68.
Last year, Minh lost to former world No 1 and Olympic champion Lin Dan of China in the semi-finals and got a bronze medal, marking one of his best achievements.
On the women's side, Vietnamese player Nguyen Thi Trang will face Vicente Lohaynny of Brazil. It is an unequal match as Trang is world No 103, while Lohaynny is seeded No 65.
The world championships will be organised from August 25 to 31 in Copenhagen, Denmark.
VFF bans Nam for three years following misconduct hearing
The Viet Nam Football Federation's (VFF) Discipline Department has banned coach Nguyen Thanh Nam of Thang Long FC for three years.
Nam had reacted aggressively during a quarter-final … [Read more...]

Vietnam bags nine medals at Asian karate champs
Vietnamese athletes won 1 gold, 2 silver and 6 bronze medals, finishing sixth in the Asian Junior Karate Championships which was closed in Malaysia on August 10.
The only gold medal went to Nguyen Thi Viet Trinh who defeated Japanese rival Kikuchi Mizuki 3-0 in the women's 59kg kumite.
Two silver medals were awarded by Nguyen Thi Phuong (in the women's kata singles) and Tran Pham Viet Thong (in the men's under 63kg kumite).
Hoang Hai Yen and Nguyen Thien Phuc were outperformed in semi-finals in the women's under 53kg kumite and men's under 55kg kumite, carrying off two bronze medals.
Dang Hong Son and Afshani Milad of Iran shared third place after they both lost to Shweiki Nabil of Jordan and Ikeda Koki of Japan in the men's under 61kg combat semi-finals.
Three other bronze medals were given to Do Ha Mi (in the women's kata), Tran Thi Khanh Vy and Bui Thi Ngoc (in the women's under 53kg and 60kg kumite, respectively).
Iran topped … [Read more...]

HA NOI (VNS) - Striker Nguyen Cong Phuong scored both goals, as Viet Nam U-19's held Gamba Osaka FC's U-18 to a 2-2 draw in Japan yesterday.
Both goals from the visitors came in the second half after Gamba Osaka scored their opener in the third minute of the match from a free kick.
The hosts levelled in the last minute of the second half of the friendly match which saw French coach Graechen Guillaume of Viet Nam use many of his substitute players. It was the fifth match for the team in Japan. The Vietnamese previously won one, drew one and lost two. - VNS … [Read more...]

VietNamNet Bridge - The Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) has proposed five players to play in the special match on May 11 to raise funds for victims of the storm Haiyan, including Vietnam's top striker Le Cong Vinh.
Le Cong Vinh.
Nam Nguyen … [Read more...]

Hanoi ready to cope with abnormal weather phenomena
Hanoi is taking a lot of measures to actively deal with abnormal weather phenomena in order to minimise the loss of human life and property.
Chairman of the municipal People's Committee Nguyen The Thao said that due to predictions of increasing numbers of storms and low pressure systems and the early appearance of heat waves and floods, the city has prepared for expenditure, forces and means of transportation to ensure the implementation of preventive measures and search and rescue activities in case a disaster occurs.
All districts were asked to define areas prone to natural disasters and take the initiative in evacuating locals from dangerous areas, especially those close to rivers and in parts at risk of landslides.
Thao urged local authorities to store food, medicine and basic necessities to support people to overcome the consequences of storms and floods.
He stressed the need to provide locals with information on … [Read more...]

VietNamNet Bridge - Vietnam's top striker Le Cong Vinh is the only Vietnamese player in the list of the best scorers of the 14-year-old V-League.
Le Cong Vinh.
V - League 2014 marks the 11th consecutive leagues that Cong Vinh scored goals. In his first V-League in 2004, Cong Vinh was one of the best local scorer with 11 goals.
In later years, Cong Vinh's achievement was relatively stable, except for 2010 when he suffered from severe injure. That year he scored only one goal.
There are seven leagues that Cong Vinh scored 10 goals or more, with up to 14 goals in 2009. This is still the record for goals in a season for local players. Thanks to the stable performance through 10 football seasons, Cong Vinh is the first player who scored 100 goals at the V-League.
Antonio Carlos would have been able to become the first to pass the 100 goal milestone if he did not face fines.
Antonio Carlos joined the V-League a year later than Cong Vinh. At that time, he had to … [Read more...]